Murder trial against Eis delayed

REMEMBERED – Austin Eis, accused of killing teenager Wesley Welling in April 2023 and attempting to kill others, remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 26. Above is a photo of Welling (left), his brother Cody and sister Hannah left on a sidewalk outside Westlake High School shortly after the fatal incident. Acorn Archive Photo

The man accused of killing a Westlake High School student in 2023 is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on September 26.

The conference was originally scheduled for December of last year, but was postponed several times despite objections from the prosecution. No date has yet been set for Austin Eis's jury trial, which was originally scheduled to take place in January.

Eis had previously pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, 15 counts of attempted murder, seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon, five counts of displaying a deadly weapon, and one count each of unlawful use of tear gas, false imprisonment by force, second-degree commercial burglary and first-degree residential burglary.

The charges stem from a series of crimes that occurred on April 18, 2023. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office allege that Eis began the incident by attacking employees at a Walmart in Simi Valley before driving to Camarillo, where he threatened relatives at their home with weapons and eventually drove his car into a group of students near Westlake High School.

The 26-year-old defendant remains in custody without bail at the Ventura County Main Jail.